Introduction & Crazy F-4 flybys

[Griffonvp293]

Hello all,

First and formost. I've been lurking on here for quite sometime and my computer hasn't been working well enough to register and post, but got it to work and figured it was about time I got on the forum. My father and I are involved with the Shackleton Association in England where he restored a Shackleton Mk1 Cockpit and put it on a trailer to take to airshows and museums. After visiting Airsho Midland two years ago I got into warbirds and spent sometime up in the air with wl790. It was an amazing experience and I havn't been able to stay away since. I really enjoy reading everyones comments and pictures on here. Its the highlight of my day. Thanks.


As for the subject of the topic. I was wondering if anyone on the board had mentioned this video below. Flying seemed very reckless. Is this normal flying for a German f-4?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4KLXlE9ZU4

Thanks ,
Rich

[mlenoch]

Question for Randy: Is the fighter community in the Luftw. more agressive than US in regards to low flying? Is that their standard battle plan or such?
Thx,
VL

[tom d. friedman]

reckless, but a testimony to the pilot's skill that he didn't auger it in.

[Tom Crawford]

Welcome to the forum Rich...good video...

[Randy Haskin]

Question for Randy: Is the fighter community in the Luftw. more agressive than US in regards to low flying? Is that their standard battle plan or such?

Unfortunately, I don't have access to YouTube here in Afghanistan, so I'll have to imagine what happens on the video...

In my experience, the NATO countries (except the UK and France) aren't generally any more aggressive "officially" when it comes to low flying. The UK is the exception, as they have institutionalized low flying among fast jets, and they consider it one of their core competencies. France also to some extent, but not as much as the UK.

What I will say is that the NATO air forces don't generally seem to have such severe repercussions against pilots who hot-dog as the USAF does.

[mlenoch]

Randy:
Its the old F-4F video of buzzing their base. The last flight concludes with the F-4F driving toward a small berm near their ramp, with the guys on top starting to scatter as the F-4F bears inbound. Last scene depicts taxi in and shutdown. (Musta been a retirement flight or such.)
VL

[vg-photo]

Cool video! Speaking from personal experience, I had numerous times to witness low flying NATO jets. There was a time at Red Flag where we got tasked with joining the lineup to pick up what was left of an F-104 that got a little too low.

My favorite though was during a local "SALTy Nations" exercise at RAF Lakenheath. I was in the security tower at the Victor Alert (called QRA, or Quick Reaction Area in those day) working on some of the BISS gear when we got an alarm red. Two German Alpha Jets came screaming in from the east, and they were moving. One came straight at the tower that I was in, which was 60 feet up. When he turned, I swear if I had been on the catwalk, I could have reached out and touched it! The tower shook as he passed.

[Steve T]

Rich--

Cool footage...Reminds me of the best F-4 demo I ever saw, on the first day of the '96 Hamilton airshow. Luftwaffe major named Rolf something. Took off on the runway parallel to the crowdline and immediately banked shallowly toward the crowd; then proceeded to fly a demo aligned so that it appeared Major Rolf thought the crowd fence WAS the showline...yeehaw!

Welcome to WIX.

Steve T

[Griffonvp293]

My dad's cockpit before its latest paint job by the guys from the RAF. It is vp293. The last mk1 shackleton left. Its 100 percent complete with the seat stations behind the pilot and co-pilot complete.